TLC’s latest foray into the reality TV world — known as Cake Boss — sounds like it should be a cooking show focused on baking and sugary confections and anything coveredin frosting. Yum! And it is — sort of. But don’t expect to find a recipe in the show — at least not in the sneak preview pilot, which aired last night. Aww, not so sweet.
No, TV watchers, Boss is less cooking show, more reality show about a a big Italian family in New Jersey owns a big bakery called Carlo’s. The Boss part of the title refers to Buddy Valastro (pictured), who’s in charge of the bakery and is the show’s "star."
Early on in this first episode, the lovable but slightly dim-seeming Buddy is swamped with a busy week when — can you believe it! — he gets a call from Brides magazine. For a shoot this coming Friday, they need a multi-tiered wedding cake with excruciating detail. He goes into overdrive. Then! His two sisters — Mary and Grace, who manage the retail part of the bakery together — trick him into making his own birthday cake in the shape of a boat. The bakery runs out of sugar in the midst of all this, and Buddy flies off the handle. For, really, no good reason. And, naturally, the day before the cake is due to the Brides photo shoot, the editor — who is, creepily enough, named Maria McBride — calls to say she needs to additional cake options. See the staff go into continued overdrive! They’ve gotta make dozens of icing flowers in one day!
The problem — for us viewers, at least — is that there really are no problems. The bakery actually seems to run like a well-oiled machine. Which is boring. The cakes get done, beautifully. They get delivered, on time. Everything that does kind of transpire — the whole we’ve-got-no-sugar thing and a fracas with sister Mary not providing customer service — seem so contrived and, frankly, in consequential. Honestly, I wanted one of the Brides cakes to go splattering down the stairs while in transit or there to be some sort of cake-encrusted food fight in the bakery. Maybe just a fallen souffle? Something to make me laugh, cry, or — please, please, please! — hate or love one of these characters.
The problem with Buddy as a reality TV star is that he seems to be pandering to the cameras and is out solely for self-promotional purposes. (But, then again, what else is the motivator for doing a reality show?) Buddy explodes at his cousin Little Frankie (yes, that’s his name!) after the bakery is out of sugar. But why? Couldn’t some sort of underling just go to the grocery down the street and pick some up? Later, during the fracas with his gruff sister Mary, he calls her into his office after he receives a complaint about her and tells her to read the email outloud. When would you ever do that besides on a reality show? I called Buddy "dim" above because he just isn’t quite all there. He keeps referring to "breaking my chops." Isn’t the phrase "bust my chops"? Just sayin’. But, then again, he’s not dim enough that he’s endearing and fun to watch.
Cake Boss is not a bad show — it’s just that (pardon the really bad pun) the recipe hasn’t quite been perfected yet. But with a tweak or two — or maybe just another few episodes, so we can really see the dynamic of this whirling bakery and its cast of characters — it could be rather sweet.
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What’s the point of this show when we already have Ace of Cakes on The Food Network? We already know the “characters” on that show and they are funny and endearing. I watched 10 minutes of Cake Boss before turning it off. It’s just a bunch of yelling + cakes, to me.
Totally agree with Tom – Ace of Cakes is SO much more charming and enjoyable than this was. Buddy is hamming it up for the camera so much that he can hardly keep a straight face (check him out at the end of his “The orders come from God” rant, he’s smirking like crazy). I hoped that I would enjoy this show, as I love Ace of Cakes, but it gets a big fat no from me.
or we could have a series with actual (fictional) characters whom we can do all sorts of things to, rather than involve ourselves with real people willing to turn themselves into marionettes for our own enjoyment. But hey if that’s your thing you probably know all the websites I know.
I would have actually liked to watch the show last night but for some reason the only thing on all night was Jon & Kate plus 8. I don’t think they’re very good at baking cakes but I could be wrong.
I didn’t expect to get cake recipes from this show. I watch TLC for family and this was a great family comedy to me. I look forward to another serving of CAKE BOSS.
I have been a fan of Buddy’s since I saw him on Food Network Challenge. I don’t think “dim” is a word to describe a man who creates such masterpieces. I’m from a big Italian family and I can relate to the yelling and making up. Also, Buddy’s cakes look like you would want to eat them. Ace of Cakes doesn’t look edible and the people making them look dirty and i wouldn’t want to put their cakes in my mouth.
Finally a real “reality” show!! Families yell at each other and I can’t imagine how much screaming would be going on if I worked with my family. Also, my boss takes credit for my work all the time. That’s the luxury of being the boss. Buddy can’t be that dim if he has that many people working for him. Good for him.
This show is awesome. The difference between this and Ace of Cakes is that Buddy runs a real bakery that churns out great cakes. “Ace” seems like a tv set to me. And the cakes aren’t that cool. CAKE BOSS RULES!!!
I love this show, good for you and your family Buddy.
I was turned off by their behavior with all the yelling and screaming to get attention. I also don’t like the stereotype that all italian families are loud and part of the mob. I think ACE is sooo much better. And yes it does seem like Buddy is hammering it up for the camera.
I loved the show!! You can’t expect all sorts of disaster in the first episode, that may be to come, be patient and give the show a chance.
“in consequential” ???
The first poster says asks do we need another cake show when we have ACE OF CAKES? Uhhhhhh. If this were the case then TV would cease to exist. Every show in some way is derivative of another show. So should we only have 60 MINUTES and no 20/20 or DATELINE? Should we only have one family sitcom and no others? Is just one police procedural enough?
CAKE BOSS was different than ACE. It had cake moments and family moments as well. On ACE I don’t get to peek into the bakers personal lives. I liked that I got to see family drama and cake drama on BOSS. It was a nice balance.
The difference between the 2 shows, as much as I LOVE Ace of Cakes; Buddy actually made ALL THE CAKES. I watched him do the details not his 20 assistants that you usually see making cakes on Ace of cakes. I was going to have Charm City Cakes do my wedding cake until I heard about Carlos! Yay for a cake shop closer to my wedding venue.And Good for Buddy!!!
Love the Show. Love the whole entire concept of FAMILY, FAMILY, FAMILY. It was so real I felt like I was in my own house, with my family, If your not Italian, you just don’t get it. Buddy just keep on doing what you do best!